Bears may need disgruntled Harris later
Even though I believe a healthy Chris Harris is still the Bears' best safety, it's difficult to fault Lovie Smith's decision to bench him against the Minnesota Vikings.
Don't forget that Harris started all 16 games last season and tied for the team lead with 5 interceptions while finishing fourth with 96 tackles before Associated Press named him second-team all-pro.
His performance this season, however, has not been close to that level. He has struggled with a hamstring injury that sidelined him for three games and probably left him at less than 100 percent against the Detroit Lions, even though he refused to use that as an excuse.
But it's also difficult to understand Harris' knee-jerk reaction to immediately request a trade because of the demotion. If history has taught us anything, it's that change is inevitable at the safety position in Chicago.
If Harris' performance wasn't good enough to prevent the coaching staff from taking a flyer on an unproven rookie (Chris Conte) and inconsistent second-year man (Major Wright), then Harris doesn't have a beef. He isn't entitled to act as if the Bears disrespected him, which he hinted at after initially taking the high road and chalking it up to the business side of the game.
For clarification, it was actually Major Wright who started Sunday night at strong safety in Harris' place, while Conte replaced free safety Brandon Meriweather. But the safety spots are interchangeable in the Bears' scheme, with Harris and Wright having started games at both positions.
Now that the trading deadline has passed and Harris is still a Bear, it will be interesting to see if Conte and Wright remain in the starting lineup at positions that have been revolving doors in the Lovie Smith administration.
Sunday's switcheroo makes it 50 lineup changes that have occurred at the two safety positions since Smith succeeded Dick Jauron. It would be surprising if the Bears finish this season without at least a couple more changes at safety, either due to injury or performance.
Neither Conte nor Wright did anything exceptional against Minnesota. But they did not get beaten deep or make any egregious errors, which could not be said of Harris and Meriweather a week earlier against Detroit.
Hopefully this doesn't disintegrate to the point where the team considers it less trouble to cut Harris than to harbor a disgruntled employee who could become a negative force in the locker room.
Harris has never been that kind of person, and both he and the team should realize that due to injury, which seems inevitable for Bears safeties, he provides a better insurance policy than any one on the roster.
It wouldn't be a surprise to see Harris return to the starting lineup at some point.
Ÿ Kudos to offensive coordinator Mike Martz, who wisely allocated more blockers to protect Jay Cutler in passing situations Sunday night, specifically on the 48-yard TD pass to Devin Hester. Martz also called for more quick throws, thereby not exposing Cutler to the potent Vikings pass rush led by NFL sack leader Jared Allen.
The question is: Why did it take Martz five games and 18 sacks to figure out that the Bears' makeshift offensive line, especially the tackles, requires help in pass protection?
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